reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkä-nə-zən(t)s 

-sən(t)s

: a preliminary survey to gain information

especially : an exploratory military survey of enemy territory

Examples of reconnaissance in a Sentence

There are two helicopters available for reconnaissance.

They did a reconnaissance of the enemy's position.

Recent Examples on the Web

Firefighters have worked, or tried to work, given bureaucratic and other hurdles, with drones for years, but mainly for reconnaissance, says Bob Roper, a senior wildfire advisor for the Western Fire Chiefs Association. —IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2025

The pair are also alleged to have conducted reconnaissance, visiting the site of the attack days in advance, according to court documents. —Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025

The modern emergence of drone warfare The Allag-E interceptor was designed to counter a wide range of drone threats, including reconnaissance drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). —Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 18 Dec. 2025

The company's focus right now is on defense and reconnaissance — not using roaches to carry explosives, Wilhelm said. —Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, recognition, from Middle French reconoissance, from Old French reconoistre to recognize

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

reconnaissance

noun

re·​con·​nais·​sance ri-ˈkän-ə-zən(t)s 

: a survey (as of enemy territory) to gain information